Swivel connector for mops



July 5, 1960 J. O. HESSLER EI'AL SWIVEL CONNECTOR FOR MOPS Filed July 11, 1956 United States SWIVEL CONNECTOR FOR MOPS John O. Hessler, Arlington Heights, Philip K. OConnor,

Riverside, and Stanley J. Stomiany, Chicago, Ill., assignors to American-Marietta Company, a corporation of Illinois i Filed July 11, 1956,Ser. No. 597,282

'3 Claims. (Cl. 30'63) This invention relates to a swivel connector for attaching a handle, to a pivot member, and more particularly to a swivel connector which permits universal movement of the handle with respect to the .pivot member and yet throughout the life of theconnector provides friction of substantially constant magnitude to oppose such universal movement. 7

The swivel connector of this invention is especially useful for attaching a handle to a mop body. The mop bodies of mops which are used in dry condition, or for application of polish, are often elongated in shape. Thus the width of the path traced by the mop body as the mop is moved over the floor or other surface being cleaned or treated varies depending upon Whether the mop body moves in its longitudinal direction or in the transverse direction.

The user of the mop varies the position 'of the mop handle with respect to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the mop body as he desires to move the mop in a longitudinal or a transverse direction. It will be found that the mop is most easily manipulated by the user in this way if the connection between the mop body and the handle provides considerable freedom of motion in the plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the mop body, the plane passing through the transverse axis of the body, and all intermediate positions. Obviously the shift in position of the mop handle should not demand too much force or this will be inconvenient for the user, who is most often a housewife.

At the same time, it will be found that the most accurate control of ,the movements of the mop body in use is provided by maintaining frictional contact between the members comprising the swivel connector as the handle is moved through its many possible positions. Moreover, this resistance must be maintained at a relatively constant value throughout the life of the connection, for if the parts become too loose the operator will find the mop body tending to flop around at the end of the handle, thus depriving the operator of a great deal of control over the movement of the mop body.

With connectors between mop bodies and handles in previous use, it has been found diflicult to provide the freedom of motion which is desired and at the same time consistently maintain the optimum degree of frictional resistance in the connector. The swivel connector of this invention provides a universal movement between the handle and the mop body and at the same time, by reason of the frictional bearings employed in the connector, maintains the necessary amount of resistance to motion which provides the desired control by the operator.

Universal movement between handle and mop body is provided for in the swivel connector of this invention by two joints disposed to articulate at right angles to each other. One joint rotatably connects a portion of a pivot member (which member is aflixed to the mop body) with a lower socket member of the swivel connector. A spring clamping element is positioned to press against the other portion of said pivot member, to provide a frictional resistance to movement of the joint that continues substantially constant throughout the life of the connector. In the preferred embodiment of the swivel connector, substantially constant frictional resistance is likewise maintained in the second joint by providing spring arms biased to extend from the lower socket member, so as to press against complementary friction bearing means of an upper socket in which the mop handle is received.

The invention will be described by reference to the ac-, companying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the swivel connector of this invention in use, with the mop body shownin phantom and the mop handle broken away; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the swivel connector of Fig; 1 taken along line 2-2 of the latter figure, showing the swivel connector in two operative positions, one of which is drawn in phantom; 1

Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe swivel connector of Fig. 1, with a partial sectional-view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the swivel connector in three operative positions, two of which are drawn in phantom;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View. of one member of the swivel connector of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of thesame member;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the as.- sembled swivel connector showing the member of Figs. 4 and 5 in operative position; I

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a blank from which the member of Figs. 4 and 5 may be fabricated; t V T Fig. 8 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the swivel connector of this invention, similar to the .view shown in Fig. 2; and I e I Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a third embodiment swivel connector of this invention. I

In Fig. 1, mop handle 10 is attached to mop body 11 (shown in phantom) by swivel connector 12. Wire frame 13 is received by pocket 14 (indicated diagrammatically) of the of mop body 11 to provide a structure to which the'mop handle may be connected.

In the embodiment shown, the frame is generally H-shaped, with pivot-member'lS having the position of the cross bar of the letter H.

Lower socket member 16 of swivel connector 12 is rotatably engaged with cross member 15, to permitit to pivot around member 15 with a frictional resistance to the pivoting motion produced in a manner'to be explained in more detail below. As seen in Fig. 4, lower socket member 16 includes a journal portion 17 adapted to receive pivot member 15. It also has upwardly extending friction bearing arms 18 and 19, each of these being formed of a spring material (spring metal, inthe embodiment shown) and normally biased to flare outwardly from each other with increased distance from journal portions 17. Each friction bearing arm 18 and 19 is apertured at 20.

In the lower socket member shown inFig; 4, spring clamping finger 21 (formed of spring metal in the embodiment shown) extends downwardly from bearing means 19. This spring clamping element 21 is normally biased to extend into the space to be occupied by pivot member 15 when it is received in journal portions 17 :of the lower socket member. I Y 1 j Fig. 5 shows the positions into which the normal biasing of spring arms 18 and 19 of lower socket member 16 and spring clamping finger 21 urges those members. Examination of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 together will show how spring clamping element 21 wi]1 be pressed against pivot portion 15 after the pivot member has been moved into rotatable engagement with journal portions 17 of lower socket member 16. Those figures also show how friction bearing arms 18 and 19, when compressed into the position shown in section in Figs. 2 and 8, will tend to return to their original flared positions and will thereby l mop body 11. p

press outwardlyagainst "the downwardly extending friction bearing arms withwhich they are engaged.

Looking again at Fig. 1, upper socket member 25 is seen' to have an end portion 26 adapted to receive handle 10. In the embodiment shown, threads 27 (best seen in Fig. 2) receive the threaded lower end of handle '10. 7 V

Fr iction bearing means 28 extend downwardly from upper socket 25.' As seen in Fig. 2, friction bearing faces 2? on theinner surfaces of bearing means 28 confine the outwardly. flaring friction bearingmeans 18 and 19 0f lower socket member 16 when the swivel connector is in its assembled condition.

When assembled, it is'se'en that swivel "connector. 12

fp'e r'mits handle 10 to move 'in the vertical plane through the; longitudinal axis, of mop' body 11, in a" transverse having relatively large diameters; provides better;

' control of the frictional contacts, as it permits considerplane perpendicular to that'plane andby' various corna binations" of such movements in auniversalfashion into any position with'respect to the mop'fbody.

' 1 At the same time, connector 12 provides frictional resistance against motion of handle 10 in' the vertical plane through the longitudinalraxis of'mop body 11 by'pressure of spring clamping'element 21 against pivot member 15. Likewise, pressure "of frictionvbearing members 18 V and 19'against. friction bearing faces 29 on the innerj surfaces'of downwardly extendingfriction bearing means :28 provides frictional resistance'against movement of 7 the handle 10in a plane through the transverse axis of Thus, as mop handlelll is movedso that upper socket moves from-the position shown in solid line to the T positions shown'in broken line in Fig.3, the movement is opposed by frictional resistancelwhichis maintained at substantially the same value regardless of the. amount of wear that 'mayjta'ke place on the outer surfaces of friction bearingmeans 18 and 19 {'Inithe embodiment' shown, arms 18T and 19 are formed of spring metal and v ing element'Zl' in opposed. relation thereto; Pivot mem= ber '15 is confined betweenspring ,clampingelement'21 on one side, and journal portions38 flankingrelement 21 g on the other side;

are biased to' press outw dly from each other from the position shown in Fig. '2. It follows that as wear takes place in the pairs of friction surfaces' 18 and2 9, or 19 and 29 respectively, arms 18 and 19 simply press out-' i wardly and continue the same frictional contact thatwas first produced when the swivel connector was assembled.

The: manner in which spring clamping element" 21 presses'againstfpivotmember 15 to maintain the desired frictional'resist'ance between'those members is 'readily seen from 'Eigs. S. and 6. Here again, as wear takes place in the contact between spring finger 21 and pivot member '15, the fingercontinues to press against member because of its normal spring bias as shown in Fig.5. g A .Fig. 7 shows a blank made of 'spring'rnetal'from which 'the preferred embodiment of 'lower socket member 16 and spring clamping element 21 may be conveniently produced. The; parts of the blank from which journal 'portion's17, upwardly extending friction bearing means 18 and 19 and spring clamping'element 21 may be fabricated by bending the blank into the shape shown in Fig. 4 are indicated in'Fig. 7 by the same designators as used in "Fig. 4 for the corresponding parts of 'the finished piece. I I g v Fig 8 shows another embodiment of the swivel conhector of thisfinvention'having downwardly extending friction bearing means '28 adapted to produce a different kind of frictional contact fromihat-sh'own in the embodiment of Fig.2 Friction bearing means 28 in Figs. I and 253.116: each' fc rtrmed witlia ring 31 embossed on their outer surfaces. [This provides additionalfstren'gth able variation in the tolerances within which the heating means 28 fall with respect to a planar surface, without running the risk that the sole contact between the friction surfaces is a line contact the form of a circle of small diameter. 1

Fig. 9 shows a third embodiment of the swivel connector of this invention. In' this embodiment, the total frictional contact between. downwardly extending friction bearing means 28 and thepassemblage of'parts be,

tween them is reduced by providing the inner surfaces of members 28 with convex surfaces.

In addition, inthis embodiment'lower socket'member -35 has only one upwardly extending" arm 36. Friction bearings 37 of any conventional type are disposed on either side of arm 36 so as to bea'ragainst the friction bearing surfaces 2? of bearing means 28.}: The assemin blage isagainmaintained by a rivet 30. g

' 'Lower socket member:35 in this embodiment'includes V journal portions'38 at itslow'erend, with sp'ringclamp- The embodiments shown in Figs. .2 and .8 canibe," as will be seenffrom'those fignres, especially easily and quicklyasscmbled'"Theytwo arms 18 and 190i lower socketmember 16 are passed around piizot'portionalS-iof frame 13 tol snap the pivotmember into placeawithin moving members of the swivel connector. Rivet 30 preferably serves only to provide a pivot for the joint between lower socketmemberlti-tand upper socket 25,3 although if desired it may be 'peened over s'ufiiciently to exert a constraining force against the outside surfaces of friction bearing means 28-as .well.

It is seen that in .the preferred embodiment of' the swivel connector of this invention which has been described, the frictional resistance between the frictionbearings opposing pivotal movement of mop handle 10 longitudinally or transversely with respect to mop body 11 in the lower portions of bearing means 28, In the embodirnent' shown 8, however, each bearing means is;fqrrried 'with a ring 32; embossed on its inner surface. U As a result, the frictional contacts between arms 18 and; 19 pflower socket member 16 on the one hand,

and :friction' bearing surface 29 of the respective friction bearing meansZ S onthe other, are in the form of circles will be maintained relatively constant regardless of the extent to which there is galling or other frictional wear between the moving surfaces. down, spring arms 18'and 19 and spring finger 21 of lower socket 16 all tend tomove into the original positions to which they are biased. As this happens, the pressure at the points of frictional engagement tends to continue of substantially the same magnitude throughout the life of'the swivel connector, and undesirable loosening of the connector parts is avoided even though the connector parts may wear with use.

The above detailed description of this invention has been given for-ease of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as

modifications will be obvious tothosc skilled .inthe art. J

We claim: 'l. A universal swivel connector for attaching a handle to apivot member which comprises: a U-shaped' lower 5 socketmember having a looped end portion "receiving said pivot member, two upwardly extending friction bean 'ing arms and a spring clamping finger integral with and extending from one "of said arrn's -inopposed'spaced relation to saidloop'ed' end portion',"said finger being nor A mally' biased'to press against said pivot member; an; up-' per socket havingan' end'portionfadaptedfito'receive a handle and having *downwardly'extending friction. ,bear- 'ing meansyand'means forrsecuringthe friction bearing. H

As the surfaceswear.

means of the upper socket in rotatable, frictional engagement with said friction bearing means of the lower socket member, the spring clamping finger being urged against and in rotatable frictional resilient engagement with said pivot member.

2. A universal swivel connector for attaching a handle to a body which comprises: a pivot member secured to said body; a lower socket member having a looped end portion receiving said pivot member and having a pair of upwardly extending spaced apart arms formed of spring material, said arms being normally biased outwardly away from each other, said lower socket member also having a spring clamping finger integral with and extending from one of said arms in opposed spaced relation to said looped end portion, said finger being normally biased to press against said pivot member; an upper socket having an end portion adapted to receive a handle and having a pair of downwardly extending arms receiving said outwardly biased arms of said lower socket member, the arms of said upper socket being shaped to conform to and frictionally engage the arms of the lower socket member for at least a portion of the area thereof, with the spring clamping finger being urged against and in rotatable, frictional, resilient engagement with said pivot member; and means for maintaining the engaged arms of said upper and lower socket members in alignment with each other.

3. A universal swivel connector for attaching a handle to a body which comprises: a pivot member secured to said body: a lower socket member having a looped end portion receiving said pivot member and having a pair of upwardly extending spaced apart arms formed of spring material, said arms being normally biased outwardly away from each other, the upper ends of said arms having a dish shape, said lower socket member also having a spring clamping finger integral with and extending from one of said arms in opposed spaced relation to said looped end portion, said finger being normally biased to press against said pivot member; an upper socket having an end portion adapted to receive a handle and having a pair of downwardly extending armsreceiving said outwardly biased arms of said lower socket member, the arms of said upper socket being dished to conform to and frictionally engage the dished arms of the lower socket member for at least a portion of the periphery thereof, with the spring clamping finger being urged against and in rotatable, frictional, resilient engagement with said pivot member; and means for maintaining the dished arms of said upper and lower'socket members in alignment with each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,281,883 Toof Oct. 15, 1918 1,453,745 Cabana May 1, 1923 1,735,278 Hertzberg Nov. 12, 1929 1,997,685 Hertzberg Apr. 16, 1935 1,998,634 Oberti Apr. 23. 1935 2,050,762 Preisser et al. Aug. 11, 1936 2,164,398 Glover July 4, 1939 2,495,209 Chilo Jan. 24, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Every-Which-Way Mops, W-l price list, O-Cedar Corp., April 1955. 

